Breaking the Word

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."  (Mt 9:9-13)

I wonder what criteria Jesus had in choosing his disciples. He chose Peter, Andrew, James and John who were fishing and in fact called them while they were at work. Here again he called Matthew sitting at the customs post. Did he choose only those who were working? Was ability to work, a criteria? The promptness with which these disciples followed him leaving their jobs is also interesting.

Tax collectors were also joined to the sinners thus making them impure. The other religious leaders did not associate with the tax collectors because they collaborated with the ‘hated Roman authorities’ and also they collected extra money for themselves. But here, Jesus is in table-fellowship with tax collectors. What sort of a religious leader is Jesus?

Jesus had come to establish a kingdom-movement which was different from other religious movement. Jesus was right in the midst of God’s new work. And this work revealed the out pouring of the mercy of God. And God expected mercy from the people and not sacrifice. The kingdom-movement was, in fact, ushering in a new world where everything would be different. In this new world what was required was mercy. 

He entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven." At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, "Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"– he then said to the paralytic, "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." He rose and went home. When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings. (Mt 9:1-8)

The three important words in this passage seem to be authority, faith, and forgiveness. I wonder how the scribes understood the word authority. It is true that the people of authority exert power. And the people who have power use force and at times it ends up as violence. But the authority of Jesus seems to be of a different kind. His authority is seen in his teaching and preaching and healing and over nature (wind and waves). In this story he has authority to forgive sins. Jesus’ authority seems to be for love, freedom and forgiveness.

Faith here means faith in his authority. It is not the faith of the sick that has done the miracle but the faith of those who carried him. It is the faith that reveals that Jesus is able to do something about it because he is a man of authority. Again the authority is with Jesus because he is the Son of God. Authority is a divine authority.

Main issue in this story is that Jesus is able to forgive sins. Forgiveness is not the point of reference in all the healing miracles. Here in this story forgiveness is the issue for dispute. Probably Jesus knew that the sick person needed internal healing and his internal sickness (guilt feelings etc) could have been the cause of his physical sickness. So Jesus heals his internal sickness which in turn heals the person physically as well. Forgiveness was needed to heal the person and Jesus forgave him because he was the Son of God.